This is a very tasty kugel -- not too sweet - just right. Can't believe that I forgot to add the dried cranberries -- so I will just have to make this delicious dessert again. : ) Made for the What's On the Menu tag game.

Toppings

Cook EGG NOODLES in well salted water to al dente. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking and drain as much as possible, stirring noodles in colander to get all the moisture out. Set aside to allow more drying.

Crush about half the box of CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH in food processor (or you can do this by hand. I sometimes put it in a zip-lock and crunch it up with my hands). Stop short of completely pulverizing it, but it should be broken up enough that it not longer is totally identifiable as cereal.

MIX in softened BUTTER to CRUSHED CEREAL until butter is well distributed. Put aside (refrigerate if it will be a long time until you cook).

In a mixing bowl, beat together EGGS, SOUR CREAM, CREAM CHEESE, SALT, and VANILLA EXTRACT. You can use an electric mixer for this, but it’s really not difficult to do by hand. Everything should be well incorporated and fairly smooth, but it’s okay if it’s still a slightly lumpy.

Mix in APRICOT PRESERVES and GROUND CINNAMON to taste (batter should taste good, but very sweet, since it will mellow out when combined with the noodles and baked).

Liberally BUTTER the inside of an 8x8 baking dish (I like to use glass, but anything will work).

Check that the noodles are pretty dry (if not, dump them on a paper towel to mop up a little more moisture.

Transfer NOODLES to baking dish and pour in BATTER. Stir to combine.

Add a handful or two of DRIED CRANBERRIES and mix to get it evenly distributed. Use more if you really like CRAISINS. Use less or none if you don’t.

Sprinkle topping mixture evenly over the top. I like to totally cover the surface for a nice crust.

Insert into oven, uncovered for 1 to 1.5 hours. (depending on the oven and the baking dish, sometimes if only needs 45 minutes, especially if you like it a little looser). If you're nervous, you can check "doneness" using the toothpick method- insert a toothpick in center and once it start coming out fairly clean, it's ready to come out.

Keep an eye on the top. It should brown, but not burn. If it looks like it’s headed towards burning, stick some tin foil on the top. At the end, if the top is not looking “crusty” enough, I’ll stick it under the broiler for 1-3 minutes, watching for the butter to bubble a bit and the color to get nice and rich looking.

When the top is browned and the middle seems cooked, remove from oven and let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes (you can eat it right away if you want, but giving it time to rest, allows it to set a bit.